


Sojourn

by helsinkibaby



Series: Partners [12]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Caitlin is a cop, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Het, Partners to Lovers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 16:43:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7180934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the middle of the Metapocalypse, two detectives take a moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sojourn

**Author's Note:**

> For the 1_million_words Jimmy Buffett weekend challenge. My song was "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"

Caitlin is staring at her computer screen, reading back over the report she's just finished typing about the latest attack in Zoom's Metapocalypse, when she hears it. 

The sound of Joe's temper finally snapping. 

It comes in the form of raised voices from the captain's office, then the slam of a door and angry footsteps coming towards her desk. She'd recognise her partner's footfall anywhere and she looks up, all ready to ask him what's wrong but she's obviously been sitting at her desk too long because her neck aches when she straightens it and she winces instead. It's a measure of how vexed Joe is that he doesn't ask her about it, barely seems to notice, not just that she's rubbing her neck but that she's even there at all. He doesn't glance in her direction, just grabs his jacket and heads for the door. 

He doesn't look like he wants to be followed but Caitlin stands away, pausing only when the office doors opens and Singh walks out. He glances at Joe's rapidly disappearing figure, then his head snaps to Caitlin. She freezes in place but he doesn't say anything, just narrows his eyes and jerks his head unmistakably in the direction Joe's just vanished. 

Caitlin's not sure if that's an order or permission but she doesn't stick around to find out. 

She catches up with Joe easily enough, despite his fast pace, calls his name when she's close enough. "Singh send you?" he demands as he turns to face her, his lips pressed into a thin line, nostrils flaring. It's a long time since she's seen Joe this mad, but she can't exactly say she's surprised. She knows it's been brewing for a while now. 

"He didn't have to," she counters. She'd have come looking for him whether Singh had appeared or not, things would only have become sticky if Singh had ordered her to stay at her desk. She crosses her arms over her chest, tilts her head. "You want to tell me what that was all about?"

Joe's lips grow even thinner and he blows a long breath out through them before he answers. "Singh wants answers," he tells her after a moment. "And I don't have them. Not for him..." He shakes his head, looks away from her, far out across the street. "Not for anyone." 

The last is almost a whisper and she takes a step closer to him, suddenly mindful that they're on a street in the middle of Central City, halfway between Police Headquarters and Jitters, a high traffic area where literally anyone could hear them. "Come on," she says. "Let's go somewhere." 

His next words surprise her. "There's a bar two blocks over." From the look on his face, he's surprised even himself. "I know... It's only lunchtime."

Caitlin shrugs, manages a smile.  "I'm sure it's five o'clock somewhere," she says and at that he actually laughs. 

As it happens, they don't go to a bar. They go to the West house which is mercifully deserted, Barry and Iris both at work, Wally at school. Joe does, however, head straight to the drinks cabinet, pours himself a generous splash of bourbon and, after a questioning glance, another one for Caitlin. 

They sit on the couch, and she makes herself comfortable, curls her legs up underneath her and rests her free arm on the back of her couch, using it to prop up her head.  She's suddenly so tired she can hardly see straight and lying down right here and going to sleep seems like a really good idea - there have been a lot of late nights and early mornings since Zoom unleashed hell. 

Then she looks into Joe's eyes and she remembers why they're here. 

"None of this is your fault." 

He looks surprised by her words but, shaking his head, he raises his glass to his lips. "Isn't it?" His throat works hard as he swallows the bourbon, like there's a lump there that's making it difficult. "Barry gave up his powers because of Wally. My son. So I wouldn't have to lose him."

"That was Barry's choice." Caitlin's hand closes over his knee, grips it tightly. "You know that."

"Zoom targeted Wally because he knows Barry cares about me." Joe's voice is flat. "He's more powerful than ever, because of that. Patty is over there with him, who knows what he's doing to her..."

"Stop." Caitlin uses her best pissed off detective voice and one of those parts doesn't involve as much acting as usual. "You cannot have the weight of the world on your shoulders over this, Joe, this is not your fault. This is... this is a madman, a monster, who is causing this. This is his fault, not yours. Barry made his choice and whatever is happening now, we will figure a way out of it." 

Joe lifts an eyebrow. "Will we?" His hand closes over hers and, for once, it's hers that is the warmer. 

"Yes." If she sounds sure, it's because she is, because she has to be, because the alternative is simply too awful to consider. 

He holds her gaze for a long moment before he chuckles somewhat ruefully. "I hope you're right." He leans forward to place his glass down on the coffee table, takes hers from her grip - sucking in a sharp breath at its cold temperature - before he takes her in his arms, pulls her close. She goes willingly - she's missed this these last few awful nights - and lets her head fall against his chest. She feels him brush a kiss across her hair and it makes her smile. 

"I am so tired," she hears him murmur and she's not sure if he's actually talking to her or just thinking out loud. 

Either way, she knows what to do. 

"Then sleep," she says, sitting up for a moment and reaching for her phone, still resting on the coffee table beside his, just waiting for Singh to call to find out where the hell they vanished to. "I'll set the alarm for an hour." She presses buttons rapidly, unwilling to be away from him for any longer than absolutely necessary, and by the time she's pressing her body back against his, he's loosened his tie, undone the top button of his shirt. 

She fits into his arms like she's meant to be there and it's still scary for her sometimes how easy all this is, how natural it feels, even though there are a dozen departmental rules and regulations that say they shouldn't be doing this and up until now, she had always someone who followed the rules to the letter. 

This, she thinks, as her eyes grow heavy, is worth breaking the rules for. 

Beneath her cheek, his chest rumbles with laughter. "You know Singh's gonna think we sneaked off for a nooner," he says and she smiles, but she doesn't open her eyes. 

"Let him," she mumbles. "I don't care."

She's almost asleep when she hears his quiet response, accompanied by his fingers running over her hair. "Yeah," he whispers, "me neither."


End file.
